ESPN’s Paul Finebaum spent most of the 2025 college football season talking down to Indiana football and Curt Cignetti. On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Finebaum released a video less than a minute-long admitting, ‘Almost everything I said throughout the season about him and about Indiana was wrong.’

The Hoosiers capped off a historic 16-0 season with a 27-21 win over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday, Jan. 19.

Just last week, Finebaum called Indiana ‘a cute story.’ Now, he says, ‘It is the greatest story in the history of the game.’

Buy IU championship books, prints

Indiana fans, and college football fans in general, have taken the SEC Network host to task over the past few weeks for his reluctance to give credit to Cignetti and Indiana and get beyond his obvious brand bias.

On Wednesday, Jan. 21., Finebaum offered ‘A mea culpa with a side of crow about the Hoosiers this season…’

“There can be debate on whether Indiana had the best season in college football history, but there can be no debate: It is the greatest story in the history of the game,’ Finebaum said. ‘And what made it even more amazing is how people misunderstood what Curt Cignetti was doing in Bloomington. Let me assure you, nobody was more incorrect in understanding that process than me. Almost everything I said throughout the season about him and about Indiana was wrong. And it was an epic failure on my part. There was no question Indiana was the best team, and yes, the Big Ten is the best conference in the country. We congratulate Curt Cignetti, Indiana and the Big Ten for an extraordinary run.”

Longtime Indiana radio broadcaster Don Fischer called out Finebaum during Indiana’s 38-3 Rose Bowl win over Alabama following the touchdown that gave IU a 31-3 lead. ‘What are you thinking now, Paul Finebaum?’

In October, Finebaum took issue with Indiana giving Cignetti a second contract extension as the IU administration backed their man in attempts to stave off coach-needy programs like Penn State.

‘I’m still not convinced that Curt Cignetti is one of the top coaches in America,’ Finebaum said then, saying Indiana was wrong to give its coach another extension.

Josh Pate apologizes to Indiana football, too

Finebaum wasn’t the only ESPN personality to be wrong about the Hoosiers — a program that began this season with more all-time losses than any in FBS history. Save for Indiana resident Pat McAfee, ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ crew and Josh Pate consistently picked against the Hoosiers this season. Pate released a video Tuesday, Jan. 20, listing the times he was wrong about Indiana, while wearing a clown nose.

‘I picked against them four times. I went 0-4. They went 4-0 in those games en route to going 16-0. That makes them national champions, and it makes me a broken, confused man with nothing to console him but a cold microphone. Congratulations to Curt Cignetti. Congratulations to Indiana and that entire staff. I have been dumped on as painfully and repeatedly as I have ever been dunked on by anyone this side of sixth-grade gym class, and I hate that this is happening to me, but I will learn from it. You guys won, and I’m here left to pick up the pieces.’

The New York Knicks entered Wednesday night’s game having lost four consecutive contests, but you would have never known it given the way they obliterated the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks won 120-66, their 54-point margin of victory a team record. It could have been even worse − at one point the Knicks led by 59.

The 54-point margin of victory easily shattered the Knicks’ previous record of 48, achieved three times (in 1994, 1972 and 1968).

Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 20 points, and five other Knicks scored in double figures. They shot 57% as a team, including 50% from 3 (16-for-32).

The Nets, by comparison, shot a grisly 29% from the field (23-for-79). They were also soundly beaten on the boards (56-27) and in the assist department (28-15).

Knicks vs. Nets highlights

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee was detained at the Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday night due to a paperwork issue, agent Scott Boras told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Boras told the paper Lee’s detainment was ‘not anything political or anything like that’ and Lee was released later Wednesday evening, USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale reported.

“We are working politically and with immigration and the Giants to get verifications,” Boras had told the Chronicle. “I’m not sure what was lacking but it was something with the proper paperwork. I think he just forgot one of the documents.”

The Giants told the Chronicle they were working to resolve the issue, as was California Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s office.

Lee was arriving back in California from South Korea ahead of a Giants fan event set to be held on Saturday.

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss issued a statement regarding a story by ESPN about her criticism with LeBron James.

In the article published on Wednesday, Jan. 21, James had fallen out of favor with Buss for his role and actions in recent years involving the organization.

“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” Buss said in a statement to The Athletic on Wednesday regarding the ESPN story. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”

The story stated that Buss had not been pleased with the team’s superstar after he failed to take accountability for how things worked out with Russell Westbrook and for how ungrateful James appeared to be after the team drafted James’ son, Bronny, in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

LeBron James has not publicly commented on the ESPN story.

The bulk of the story details the role of the Buss family’s infighting and how it led to the $10 billion sale of one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. Jeanie has had a falling out with her siblings in recent years regarding the franchise that has been in the family since the late 1970s.

In February 2013, Jeanie became the controlling owner and governor of the Lakers, following the death of her father, Jerry Buss. In the role, she took full control of both the franchise’s business and basketball operations.

When do Lakers play next?

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will play at the L.A. Clippers on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. ET at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

USA TODAY Sports released its latest ‘Milan Magic’ episode covering the 2026 Winter Olympics. In preparation for the Milano Cortina Winter Games, ‘Milan Magic’ hosts Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano — an Olympic gold medal champion figure skater — are covering all topics regarding the games extensively and sitting down with Winter Olympics legends in order to get a behind-the-scenes look at these remarkable winter events.

After an enthralling conversation with ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin, the duo have returned, now speaking with 1976 Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill, an icon of the figure skating world.

Hamill did far more than win in the Olympics though. She also won the 1976 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, after winning silver each of the two years prior. She is a four-time United States champion as well (1969, 1974-76).

Despite being diagnosed with osteoarthritis at 40 years old and suffering from chronic back pain. Hamill continued to participate in skating events and shows until 2013.

Hamill spoke on numerous topics including the pressure facing most Olympic figure skaters as they take the ice. She even recalled a time when competing in Munich where the home crowd didn’t appreciate the marks given to the German skater before Hamill, prompting a cascade of boos as Hamill took the ice. Hamill said, ‘I just wanted to get it over with.’ Boitano expanded, recalling that Hamill’s father needed to come over to her to calm her down before she skated, and that Hamill’s toughness to be able to perform one of the greatest routines of her life to that point as boos rained down was one of the best moments of Hamill’s career.

Hamill also took time to discuss the difference in figure skating between now and when she competed.

‘It’s a whole new sport,’ Hamill said. She specifically praised Alysa Liu, the gold medal winner at the 2025 World Championships. Liu contemplated retiring at just 16 years old, even taking a two-year hiatus from the sport in order to experience life outside of her sport.

‘I just have so much admiration for her,’ stated Hamill. ‘In figure skating, if you take two weeks off…I could never do anything, so it’s really special.’

Liu will be participating in the 2026 Olympics after a strong performance at the U.S. championships.

Another aspect of the sport that has changed so drastically since Hamill’s time as a competitor is the involvement of social media.

‘I never had to deal with that,’ Hamill said. ‘For me, if there was even one bad review in the newspaper, that was the only thing I could remember. And that would stick with me forever.’

Hamill’s advice to young skaters is to stay away from social media as much as possible. Even in the accolades, there can be negative connotations that will stick with athletes. She notes that people often tend to look for criticisms while drowning out praise and that can have seriously negative effects on competitors ahead of big competitions.

Those words of wisdom from Hamill and much more are available to ‘Milan Magic’ listeners. You can listen to USA TODAY’s podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch full episodes on YouTube or on USA TODAY.

Subscribe to USA TODAY’s newsletter: Chasing Gold: Your guide to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.

The Denver Broncos quarterback suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the team’s divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills. It marked Denver’s first playoff win since Super Bowl 50, but the celebration was short-lived after it was revealed Nix had fractured his ankle in overtime.

Head coach Sean Payton revealed the news to reporters after the game, adding that the quarterback was scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Nix addressed the injury in an Instagram post:

The last few days have been hard to put into words.

What started as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received. This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end, but our season has been defined by overcoming adversity and responding to it.

I can’t express how much this team and organization mean to me and how much I believe in them. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. I couldn’t be more confident in Jarrett. And I couldn’t be more excited for what’s next.

Thank you for all the kind words, love and support over the last few days. Thankful for my trainers, Beau, Vince and Dr. Waldrop for taking great care of me.

God never says oops, and he is always good. He has big plans for this team. We’re not finished, as a matter of fact we’re just getting started. We’re just going to keep climbing higher.

Go Broncos.

Payton told reporters on Jan. 21 that Nix’s surgery went well.

Nix hasn’t missed a start since the Broncos made him the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, appearing in all 34 regular season games and the two playoff games. It means that Denver will now turn to Jarrett Stidham, the untested backup who has started just four games and appeared in only 20 since entering the league in 2019.

Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, will face his former team with a trip to Super Bowl 60 on the line.

The relationship between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has seemingly fizzled out.

Niners general manager John Lynch said during a Jan. 21 news conference that Aiyuk has most likely ‘played his last snap’ for San Francisco.

‘The plan in terms of the transaction, that will come in due time, (but) I think it’s safe to say that he’s played his last snap with the Niners,’ Lynch said. ‘It’s unfortunate, you know, situation that just went awry. I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes (it) just doesn’t work out. And I think this was a case where that happened.’

Aiyuk, 27, was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and missed the entire 2025 season, including postseason games, due to injuries sustained to his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season.

At some point during the course of the season, Aiyuk’s relationship with the organization went awry. Lynch said he wasn’t sure what led to the fallout with Aiyuk.

‘I wish I knew,’ Lynch said. ‘I can’t help you there. Sorry.’

When asked if there had been communication with Aiyuk, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters ‘there was, but not anymore.’

‘I say it officially stopped for me when last time I tried to get ahold of him and couldn’t,’ Shanahan said. ‘Then tried a couple more times and still couldn’t, and then that matched everyone else that was trying to get ahold of him and couldn’t. Eventually there’s not much of an explanation, because it’s really hard for us and anyone else to understand.’

Shanahan called the situation ‘unfortunate’ and added that he’d never had an experience like this in his 22 years of coaching.

‘It’s confusing, because it’s confusing for all of us,’ Shanahan told reporters. ‘But it eventually becomes, ‘it is what it is’ and you try as hard as you can to fix something that you don’t understand. It’s not like we understand it very well still, but eventually you understand that it’s not going to change and you got to move on with your football team, which is always the most important thing.’

So, what’s next? Lynch said he’d consider trading for a new wide receiver.

‘We’ll explore anything to make our football team better. I think we’ve shown that,’ Lynch told reporters. ‘We’re going to get together and we’re going to put together our plan like we do each and every year. … We’re open to anything that’s going to make our team better.’

Brandon Aiyuk timeline with 49ers

2020

Aiyuk was selected by the 49ers with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Aiyuk was drafted out of Arizona State, and before that he played at Sierra College, a junior college in Rocklin, California.

He recorded 60 catches for 748 yards and five touchdowns, appearing in 12 games, in his rookie season. He also ran for two touchdowns in his first year.

2021

In his sophomore season, Aiyuk started 16 games but played in all 17. He finished with 56 catches, 826 yards and five touchdowns.

During a Week 10 game against the Los Angeles Rams, Aiyuk became the fifth-fastest player in franchise history (21 games) to reach 1,000 career receiving yards.

2022

Aiyuk played and started all 17 games in 2022. He recorded his first 1,000-yard season in his third campaign with the 49ers.

He finished with 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns.

2023

The 49ers picked up Aiyuk’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract and he followed his 2022 campaign with another 1,000-yard season in 2023.

Aiyuk became the fifth 49ers player to record back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, joining Jerry Rice (1986-96), Terrell Owens (2000-03), Anquan Boldin (2013-14) and tight end George Kittle (2018-19).

Aiyuk finished the regular season with 75 catches, 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. His performance earned him second team All-Pro honors.

He then helped the 49ers capture the NFC championship, beating the Detroit Lions 34-31 in the conference title game as he recorded three catches, 68 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers lost the Super Bowl in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, 25-22.

2024

Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers.

Unfortunately, he had his 2024 season cut short after he tore his ACL and MCL during a Week 7 loss in a Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs. He missed the remainder of the season.

Aiyuk finished the season with 25 catches and 374 yards.

2025

Aiyuk went into his sixth NFL season on the PUP list as he recovered from his ACL and MCL injuries.

In November, San Francisco voided all guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract due to lack of communication and failure to complete the deal, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver. They reported that Aiyuk ‘failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in other team activities.’

Aiyuk told the NFL Players Association that he wouldn’t file a grievance in contest.

He was placed on the reserve/left squad list in December.

That same month, Aiyuk posted a video of himself to his YouTube account that showed him driving past the 49ers home stadium, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, at high speeds exceeding 90 mph, once topping 100 mph, through intersections. The speed limit in that area is 25 mph.

2026

Niners general manager John Lynch says that Aiyuk likely ‘played his last snap’ as a 49er.

Brandon Aiyuk career stats

• Games played: 69
• Receptions: 294
• Yards: 4,305
• Touchdowns: 25
• Rush attempts: 13
• Rush yards: 117
• Rush touchdowns: 2